Experimental investigation for an innovative hybrid photovoltaic/Thermal (PV/T) solar system

Abstract

An innovative hybrid photovoltaic/Thermal (PV/T) solar system can simultaneously generate both electrical and thermal energy from solar energy. The solar PV panels in the (PV/T) solar system will generate electricity/power efficiently when the loop thermosyphon system (including loop thermosyphons, a heat exchanger, two solenoid valves, an accumulator, etc.) generates thermal energy by absorbing heat from it (solar PV panels). In addition, a decrease in the operating temperature of solar PV panels can increase the electrical efficiency of solar PV panels. In other words, extracting heat from solar PV panels can increase the electrical efficiency of the solar PV panels. In this research, the loop thermosyphon system was used in the innovative hybrid PV/T solar system, and the passive and loop thermosyphon system was used to extract heat from solar PV panels then transfer that thermal energy/heat to water in the shell and tube heat exchanger via latent heat of refrigerant. Consequently, the thermal energy from (warm) water could be used for washing hands, swimming pools, and so on. Furthermore, the loop thermosyphon system was designed without extra pumping power, which is the most crucial advantage of this method. And the loop thermosyphons were attached to the back side of solar PV panels. Finally, solar PV panels’ generated power and electrical efficiency with a loop thermosyphon system are investigated and compared with ordinary solar PV panels without extra cooling through a real-time field measurement/experiment method. The experiment results reveal that (when cooling occurred) the generated power of solar PV panels with the loop thermosyphon system reduced “up to a maximum of about 17%” lower the average operating temperature compared to ordinary solar PV panels; meanwhile, the solar PV panels have loop thermosyphon system increased “up to a maximum of about 7.3%” higher than ordinary solar PV panels during water flow rate into heat exchanger was 0.2 kg/s. The electrical efficiency showed improvement after using/combining the loop thermosyphon system.